1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to terminals, such as but not limited to power terminals operable within a vehicle to support transport of high power currents.
2. Background Art
Copper has good electrical conductivity properties, and has been a preferred material for the terminals. However, copper is susceptible to relaxation (i.e., loss of spring force) as the temperature increases. Since temperature of the terminals increases as the current drawn in the electrical circuit increases, copper terminals have a reduced ability to maintain strong clamping force onto the male terminal blades. Relaxation of the female terminals decreases the overall contact area with the male blades, resulting in reduced electrical conductivity, increased resistance, and a further increase in temperature. It is desirable to keep the overall size of an electrical distribution box or other connectors as small as possible while still providing the necessary current-carrying capacity. For any particular size of a fuse, the thickness and width of the female terminals is correspondingly limited. Therefore, the spring force cannot be further increased by simply making the terminals thicker or wider. When copper is used, the size limitations may make the desired spring force unattainable. Consequently, copper alloys for which relaxation does not occur until higher temperatures are reached have been used. On the other hand, copper alloys typically have a lower conductivity. For any particular size (i.e., volume) of fuse, the current capacity is thus reduced. In automotive applications, fuses using copper alloys are typically limited to 60 amps or less.